


Of Freakouts and Government Vampires

by Diary



Category: Ugly Betty
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Awkward Conversations, Bechdel Test Fail, Canon Character of Color, Canon Gay Character, Friendship, Other, POV Character of Color, POV Justin Suarez, POV Male Character, POV Queer Character, Pre-Episode: s04e16 All the World's a Stage, Pre-Slash, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:12:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9478988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: Repost. In which Justin has a minor freakout, and despite Austin's belief in things such as government employed vampires, he manages to deescalate things. Complete.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Ugly Betty.

In class, Austin tells Justin and Lily, “My dad has a friend in Ohio, and his son just made kicker on the football team.”

Looking up from the nail polish she’s applying, Lily asks, “There’s an actual kicking position?”

Grinning, Austin answers, “Of course, there is. The actual term is ‘placekicker’. I usually play that when I go to the park. It’s…”

Looking down, Justin feels a shuddery, spidery feeling of dread going down his spine.

Austin Fitzgerald is a rival for Lily’s affections and has a stupid grin, but he’s also sort of a friend.

The memory of Randy, also sort of a friend, sharply makes its presence known: How he’d invaded Broadway auditions, and then, given Justin hope of actually having a best friend. Instead, there’d been unmerciful humiliation.

“I- I need to go outside for a few minutes,” he blurts out.

…

Outside, unwilling to get his light pants dirty by sitting down, he leans against a tree.

“Hey.”

Almost jumping out of his skin, he turns to see Austin is standing less than a foot away.

“Creepy much,” he snaps.  

Frowning, Austin asks, “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. Probably just a twenty-four hour virus. You shouldn't be so close to me.”

Shrugging, Austin spreads his jacket on the ground. “Bend your knees for a second.”

Without thinking, Justin complies.

Austin grabs his wrist and tugs, and Justin ends up sitting on the jacket with his bended knees keeping his pants from touching the ground.

Gaping, he looks at Austin, and Austin gives one of his customary, stomach-ache inducing grins. Though, after a second, the grin fades, and Justin isn't sure how he feels about this.

“If this is about Lily-” Austin starts.

“Oh, please,” Justin retorts. “You're no competition.” 

“If it's not her, then, what's the problem? If it's about me getting the role of Sebastian, you need to get over it. I didn't make a big deal when you got the role of-” 

“You're normal,” Justin blurts out.

Immediately, he wishes he could take it back, but some part of him is also relieved.

Sitting down and brushing his shoulder against Justin’s, Austin gives him a bemused look. “I guess that depends on your definition of normal. So, you, what, have something against normal?”

Sighing, Justin presses his knees against his chest, wraps his arms around them, and resists the urge to squirm away from the light pressure of Austin’s shoulder against his. “Normal boys have something against me,” he says. “I played soccer when I was little, but it was mostly just me wandering around the field while everyone else actually played the game. I tried playing basketball for a few days, and I couldn't even get it to go through the circle-thing one time. Fashion is important to me, I'm a very picky eater, I like things clean, and I'm just not like other boys. There was a football player who hung out with me for two weeks because we both liked musicals and dancing, and then, his real friends started implying things, and the closest thing I had to an actual best friend yelled at me and never spoke to me again.”

“Okay,” Austin says.

“Okay,” Justin echoes.

After a stretch of silence, Austin says, “I'm pretty sure you are actually are a changeling, but you're cool. I like hanging out with you and Lily. Me playing basketball and liking football isn't going to change that.”

“Why am I not surprised that the boy who thinks government vampires were after him due to an e-book purchase would think that?”

“Hey, anyone who pays attention in history class can see that there's a large precedent for the government covering things up. And how else do you explain the fact that nothing has tried to get in my room since Lily gave me that ankh necklace?”

Justin sighs. Feeling it needs to be said, he declares, “I'm not gay.” Seeing Austin’s about to say something, he continues, “I know you're wondering. Everyone either wonders or thinks they know. I had a girlfriend when I was younger. Her name was Tammy Gambarro, and she moved away when her mom got married to a chiropractor.”

“Does that really matter?

Strangely, the question sounds a little sad, but when Justin looks over, Austin grins, puts his hand around Justin's shoulder, and gives a light shove. “Look, I'm sorry some jerk hurt you. But you know, that was his loss. I just like hanging out with you and occasionally proving my superiority.”

Scoffing, Justin rolls his eyes and wonders if this means he really doesn’t have to worry about Austin being another Randy. Shoving his shoulder against Austin, he says, “In your dreams.”

There’s another stretch of silence, and then, Austin asks, “Freakout over?”

“It wasn't a freakout,” Justin tightly informs him.

“Uh-huh,” Austin says. Grabbing Justin's wrist and pulling the two up, he continues to hold it while he picks up his jacket, and when he lets go, the tingling sensation running through Justin thankfully and frustratingly dissipates. “Come on. Let's go.”


End file.
